Celebration and sharing...

Most of my making today focused on a birthday celebration...Ryan turned 13.  I made a cake...

It was a full day of family and fun.

I squeezed in a bit of making preparing labels for art-o-mat and finalizing my introduction for the Friends of Huntley Meadows newsletter.

Revisiting...

I spent a few hours this morning revisiting collages.  Often, once I'd done a photo transfer I would put a collage aside thinking I'd get back to it. Then I moved on to something else.

Now, as I prepare for framing, I'm sorting through collage panels to see what's ready to go and what might need more work.  Here are 4 collages I added to today...

I mixed some greens back on top of the photo transfer and particularly liked the surprise of how the fibers in the paper mimic some of the lines in the vines.

I added more of the new spring greens among the trees.

For this one I added the Browns in the foreground to set off the reflection and the sky.

This image was inspired by the national arboretum last fall.  I added a second layer of colors with more attention to contrast and light and dark.

Yesterday I felt sort of frozen with anxiety... Will I finish everything?  Will people like my work?  How will I ever get it all together?  I woke in the middle of the night remembering the idea of practice - I set out on this path to help me remember to practice, to show up and make things.  When I return to that commitment, I get things done and, bit by bit, I begin to see how it can all come together.

Fired...

A full set of labyrinth touchstones...their boxes arrived today - will be packaging soon.

My other making today focused on a newsletter blurb and postcard for my upcoming show at Huntley Meadows.  

Rabbets

I spent yesterday learning about framing and then looking for tools to make rabbets - that's the name of the groove cut into wood to make molding for framing.

It took visits to 3 hardware stores to find a rabbeting bit that would work and to get just the right size screws to attach the router to the router table.  

Then today came the fun part - it works!  Here is my first frame...

And this morning's glazing - now cooking in the kiln...

Here is my first set of labyrinth touchstones for Art-o-mat - bisque fired and ready to glaze...

Finishing

Working today on finishing things.  I began the day with a meeting about how the tiles for the St Aidan's labyrinth sign will be mounted.  It is exciting to help design a stand and imagine it in place in the next month.

I visited my 7th grade English teacher to see his frame shop and get tips on building wood frames. The most important thing I learned was that I was using the wrong router bit.  I spent most of the afternoon looking for a new one.  I now have the correct bit and correct setting in the table and will try it tomorrow.

Chad and I finished painting the corn hole boards tonight.  

This evening I glazed labyrinth touch stones and then used watercolor glaze in leaf prints...these will go in the kiln tomorrow.

Chores and repetition...

So there are chores that go with making - one that comes to mind is loading and unloading the kiln.

Today I unloaded about 75 small pieces in several loads - time for glazing tomorrow.

And I continued my Celtic knot painting.  As I repeat these designs I learn more about them and further appreciate their intricacies.  For example in this one I used to have to refer to my drawing at each intersection.  Today I find I am starting to better see the weave as I paint it.

Illuminated Corn Hole

Got a bit of a taste for the meditative quality of Celtic knot work today painting these Celtic corn hole boards for the St Aidan's Spring Fling...

Also once again enjoying having a family maker shop out in the carport.

Makers...

The boys' workshop is in full swing in the carport, constructing corn hole boards.  

Amid all this, I'm collecting tools and trying techniques to start framing once their project is finished.

It's fun to be in a house full of makers.

Today's collage beginning...

Space...

The kiln is full and firing so it seemed like a good day to clean up the porch. It is refreshing to see a clear table and tidied shelves...

There will be a new layer of pollen in a day or two but for now clarity feels good.

And I made a small collage tonight inspired by spring colors on the trees...

Time

I thought a lot today about my relationship with time.  There is a certain urgency that follows me around when I am working on projects.

This urgency can be at odds with the normal rhythm of the day.  There is a temptation to put other things aside to feed the creative urgency. 

Today there was a lot that couldn't be put aside.  The tire I thought was patched yesterday needed further repair.  Ryan  was home from school early with plenty of time to practice for solo ensemble - but with a white shirt two sizes too small.

Today the little urgencies of life seemed to pop up just as I'd think I had time to settle in to work.  I often felt like I was circling.  

This evening, Kevin was all set up for sanding a project in the carport when we discovered the sander was broken. He was mad, I was tired and it just felt like one more interruption.  The next thing on my schedule was a run, not fixing a sander.  

Taking it apart seemed more appealing than a trip to the store for a new one so we took a chance and tried.  We removed a dozen screws, learned a bit about how the motor works and shook out years of accumulated saw dust.  It ran, then we put the cover back on and it didn't run, took it off and it seemed to work again.  More frustration.  After about 30 minutes of tweaking and cleaning, we got it to run and stay running with the cover pieces back in place.  Kevin got to continue his project and I went for my run - half hour later than planned.  Somewhere in accepting the broken tool and attending to it rather than trying to avoid or delay dealing with it, I felt myself ease into a new rhythm with the day.    

This evening Kevin and Chad continued their workshop in the carport and I spent some time on the porch with clay.  The repetition of shaping the touch stones was soothing and I love the energy of projects going on around the house.  

In between steps...

Today my making focused on a lot of the in-between steps, planning and preparation.  I've been researching ways to make frames and working on getting text just right to transfer it in to tiles.

There's not a lot to show for these in between steps - more to see later.

In the mean time, I was happy to learn my touchstones were accepted as a new series for art-o-mat - made a few more in celebration...

Preparing, making, completing...

I enjoyed a lovely walk at Huntley Meadows this morning - lots of new animal activity and then new views on trees, reeds and vines I've come to know well...

This afternoon I've been researching tools and methods for framing collages and preparing for the final step of making a tile labyrinth sign go St Aidan's.  

Here are the glazed tiles - all that is left is adding the text...

Day of clay...

It was a beautiful day for clay work on the porch - I spent most of the day out there, enjoying visits and company from two good friends.

A new collection of leaf prints....

Some labyrinth touch stones...

And yesterday's leaves after firing...

Lots of making...some with pictures...

Today was busy.  Chad helped me work on cutting molding to build frames for collages.  We are getting closer to a workable design but it still felt like s lot of time cutting and measuring and a lot of set backs.  More to come on framing...

In the mean time, I'm loving the glowing greens of this photo transfer on yesterday's collage...

And have been catching up on glazing some of my leaves printed in clay.  Watercolor glaze on the leaves with more tiles for the St Aidan's labyrinth sign on the lower level.

Working in layers...

I began a new collage tonight - here's the first layer...

I will add this photo as a transfer tomorrow...

This time the photo is a snowy landscape and the collage is a spring landscape.  I like the contrast in the tree trunks in the winter image and hope to preserve that while adding another layer to show more signs of spring...will be interesting to see what happens next.

Making...and getting to the post office...

Once I get going it is easy to get lost in making and harder to wrap things up and complete them.

I made it to the post office today with my latest shipment to art-o-mat.  

This evening my son and I took an evening walk at Huntley Meadows -

Lovely to see a herons...

Packaging...

I spent the afternoon boxing collages to send to Art-o-mat...

Also created prototype packaging for a new series...

Creating space...

This evening I led Sanctuary Stydio time for art as contemplative pracrticd at St Aidan's.  It was interesting to reflect on how intentional I am in setting up space for others - to have choices, to find materials and to provide ample workspace.

In my own practice I am sometimes so quick to squeeze in a bit of making between other things that I am less intentional in framing my time and space. Today I worked in sorting and organizing to help me with that intentional framing of practice at home.  

I completed my latest collage transfer

And here are my collages from the sanctuary studio time...

Play and making...

So tonight I spent some time playing with movie and photo apps on my phone.  I want to do some stop motion with collage but need to learn the tools first.  I played with photos of my dogs and made a silly movie.  I have yet to learn how to post it so can't yet show it here.

My collage for today is still wet with a film of acrylic medium drying on top.  It will be ready for a photo transfer tomorrow...

Rest in repetition...

Today was a busy day of meetings and appointments.  My only block of time for making came in the evening and I was tired.  I turned to crochet, a different kind of making that works well for tired eyes and brain but keeps my hands busy.

I can rest a bit in the repetition of the stitches...

Collage and transfers...

A small collage today from colors I noticed in the trees on my morning run along the GW Parkway...

And new photo transfers over yesterday's collages...

Evening collages...

I have been working today on collages for photo transfers from an evening walk at Huntley Meadows.

The orange at the top is from the sun setting - will be interesting to see how these color fields change with photo transfers tomorrow.

The reveal...and new beginnings...

Pieces from the kiln this morning...

Glazed tiles for a labyrinth sign for St Aidan's labyrinth.

And glazed labyrinth touchstones...

(It's the same glaze but looks different on red and white clay.)

Also two new collage/transfers...

Here's the first from an evening walk a few weeks ago

When I added the transfer I accidentally put it on upside down...

And here's a second transfer of a continued favorite subject, the shapes and scribbles made by small reefs and their reflections...